A matter of Life and Death
by Naty17
Summary: Why live, if you'll die anyway? Why love if it won't last? Why question when you'll never get answers? Angela hated her city life: So she left. She didn't expect this, though. Chase was a powerful soul. He could have killed her easily. So why didn't he?
1. Prologue

**A matter of Life and Death**

**Prologue: Inception**

"So what you're saying…" The Goddess said quietly, "… is that you are going to kill all my people… and destroy my entire land…" she looked up. "But all you give me in return… is my life, spared…"

The God smirked. "You catch on fast, don't you?"

The Goddess felt her eyes water. "Ignis… Why?"

The God walked over in The Goddess' mystical spring, and looked down into its depth. "Oh Sephia… always so oblivious."

He gently put a hand in the spring, and stirred the water around. A mist started to form; The God backed away, and the mist grew twice the size it was before. Pictures started to form in it.

A picture of the Celesta church appeared in the screen of mist. It was completely filled with people. "Churches used to be packed with followers, and believers. They used to come to hear about the legends, and the history of the Gods. They embraced us Gods. Especially you."

Sephia bit her lip as The God continued. "Sephia, your people have stopped believing. They think the legends are myths, stories to tell young children." He turned his back to her. "And it's up to me to fix that."

Sephia collapsed to the ground. The tears streamed endlessly down her face. "N-No… You can't!"

Ignis chuckled. "As a matter of fact, I can. There's nothing you can do, Sephia. Give up."

Sephia calmed down slightly, and wiped the tears off her face. She stood up carefully, her feet getting tangled in the long fabric of her dress. "No." she said sternly. "I won't let you."

This surprised Ignis, because he knew that Sephia was well aware that he could easily destroy her. "Really? How?"

Sephia took a while to think about her options. There was no way she could defeat The God herself. But there had to be some sort of other way…

"Why don't we make this a childish little game? If I win, you let me and my people be. If you win…" she trailed off.

The God smirked. "If I win, I do whatever I want to do, with those useless humans of yours, this useless piece of land… and you."

The Goddess gulped rather noisily. "A-Alright…"

"So, what are the rules to this 'game' of yours?" The God was very interested now.

"Um…" Sephia stuttered. "We use the humans."

"Excuse me?"

"I will bless the humans with supernatural possibilities. My humans, against yours."

"What?" The God yelled. "But that wouldn't implicit us at all!"

"Do you accept the challenge? Or do you fear of being defeated?" Sephia said, smirking at The God's obvious irritation.

Ignis clenched his jaw. "The Harvest God is **never** defeated."

"Very well."

"I guess I'll see you sooner then I planned, then." The God replied. A bright white light appeared, blinding The Goddess. When it disappeared, the God had too.

Sephia sighed, kneeling to the ground. "What have I gotten myself into?" she asked herself. She sighed again. "No matter what happens, I must finish what I've started."

She strode over to the spring, and focused her energy. A picture of a young girl appeared in the spring; she had short brown hair framing her face. She had fair-colored skin, but her big, chocolate brown eyes revealed sadness.

"She's unhappy with her life…" The Goddess said out loud. "She wishes something exciting will happen to her life."

A glowing stream of energy started from The Goddess' body. Little specks of light decorated the energy string like fireflies, as the energy poured itself into the spring.

"May her wish become reality."

* * *

><p>"Come on, Angela, you've got to let go once in a while!"<p>

"Yeah, down that drink and come party with us!"

"Is there anything wrong with just not wanting to party?" I muttered.

I had reason to feel miserable. I had nothing left in life; my family was either dead, or didn't want anything to do with me; I had no job, and money was running short; I soon wouldn't be able to afford to pay the bills for my apartment; my friends were all sluts and whores. Why wouldn't I hate my life?

"Come on, Angela, just drink the freaking pina colada, and come dance with us! Besides, it's on the house!" her friend begged.

"Why should I?" Angela hissed.

"Sheesh, Ange, take a chill pill!" Claire said, brushing her blonde hair behind her ears.

"Yeah! You're spoiling our fun!" Chelsea spat out.

"You know what?" Jill said. "We're not gonna let Angie spoil our fun night. If she wants to be a bitch, she can be a bitch. We're going to have fun without her."

"Yeah!"

My so-called friends walked away. Jill turned around. "Oh, and you better drink that pina colada! I ain't wastin' my money on you!" she yelled, before joining the rest of them, and dirty dancing on the dance floor.

I sighed, and glared at the drink in front of me. With just a few drinks, I could just stop all my misery. All my unhappiness would fade away, and I'd feel a faint buzzing in the back of my skull. I'd party and have fun like the other, normal girls. What do you know; maybe I'd even end up getting knocked up. The girls would definitely enjoy that! I just knew they'd scold me, and call me names when I'd tell them I couldn't remember a thing.

But I wasn't that type of girl. I'd probably never be that type of girl. But since when did that matter? Nobody cared anymore of what you liked or disliked, what comforted you or what drove you crazy with uncomfort. Nobody cared.

I took a sip of the drink, twirling the pink decorative umbrella. With every sip I took, I felt more and more… numb… empty… but in a good way.

I could hear my girls yelling in the background. Tina was already long gone with some guy, probably having the fuck of her life right now. But I didn't care.

I finally finished the alcoholic drink. I placed some money on the counter. So Jill didn't want to waste money on me? Well then, now she wouldn't have too.

I was already dreading the call I'd get later from her. Crying as if she were really upset she'd say something around the meanings of "Angela, I'm so sorry! I didn't really mean it! I was drunk! Please forgive me, Ange! I'm really sorry!"

Sorry my ass.

Walking towards the exit, I could already feel the familiar buzz in my head. I opened the door, and a cool winter breeze surrounded me. In no more then a week, winter would be over. Spring would be back. Year 20 of my life would begin. Glory.

I walked away from the cursed bar. Puffs of white came from my mouth with every breath I took. I headed home. Well, if my sorry excuse of an apartment could be considered a home.

The thing I wanted most these days was to die. What more was there to do in my life? Find love? All men wanted these days was sex, not a long-lasting relationship.

"Angela…" a voice whispered. I looked around, trying to find whoever spoke my name. But there was no one there. "Angela…" There it was again! If it was a real voice, or just a side-affect from my drunkenness, I didn't know. All I did know is that I was afraid. Terribly afraid.

I felt like someone was tapping my shoulder, but when I turned, all I saw was a stream of light. It went right through my chest, and I fell over.

"Ow…" I muttered.

"Angela… You have to help me…" I heard the voice whisper. I tried to get up, but my leg was still hurting from the fall. I gave up, and just lay there, on the cold, rough cement.

* * *

><p>A few minutes went by, with me just laying there. I thought it time to get up. Let's try taking little steps… I tried rising onto my knees. I winced as I felt a sharp sting in my leg. I tried standing up. Mission accomplished.<p>

I looked at myself up and down. The prune colored strapless dress Claire had let me borrow was ripped and stained. My black ankle boots were still intact, though, as was my jean jacket. I felt my neck for the faux-amethyst necklace I was wearing previously. Gone.

Perfect.

I could already see a bruise forming on my leg. I sighed. It could be worse.

I was still in the alley I was in when I collapsed. It now looked darker and more menacing then it had only ten minutes ago. I watched as a piece of paper, caught in the wind, blew by. It landed before my feet. I picked it up to get a closer look.

"It's part of some sort of brochure…" I realized.

There was a picture of an island. It was beautiful; clear blue seas, healthy green grass… It looked like a great touristic area. There were words underneath.

**Come to Harmonica Town!**

**Kind people, beautiful surroundings, plenty of activities – what not to love?**

It sounded nice, but was there any job? I hoped that section wasn't ripped off… I turned the paper over, expecting to see more about how wonderful Harmonica Town, but instead, I saw hand-writing on top.

**Help**

Help? Looks like my life just got that much more interesting…

And the next thing I knew, I was on a boat, on my way to this God forsaking 'Harmonica Town'. Screw my old life; I'm getting ready for a new one.

* * *

><p><em>Alright, people! This is the new story fellow author Angel Takashiro and I are making together! Yay! This was me, Naty17, writing this chapter. I really hope you liked it! Feel free to ask questions, and please review!<em>


	2. Chapter 1: First Impressions

Chapter 1: First Impressions

NOTE: This is Angel Takashiro, reporting for duty on chapter 1. Please, enjoy.

Being on the boat, it wasn't long before I arrived on the island. But, in the meantime, I ended up striking a conversation with the captain. His name was Pascal, if I remembered it correctly, but I couldn't even remember the conversation we had. It seemed somewhat pointless until I saw the island in the distance. It seemed homely enough, but it would have to do. It's better than being with my drunk friends and them telling me "You're spoiling our fun" or other constant reminders to "Let loose" and drink. Anything's probably better than that, right?

I was actually beginning to reconsider it when there was one guy glaring at me at the dock and the boat ported. Pascal let the anchor down and I watched it sink into the water, that guy on dock never taking his eyes off me. He had a white vest on top of a blue long-sleeved shirt and a purple tie tucked underneath. His outfit, along with his almost white hair, made me think of an old man. He looked really pissed too, like he didn't want to be there at all. Yep, he definitely screams "OLD MAN" material.

When I stepped of the boat with my brown leather suitcase in hand, I thanked Pascal and took my first step on the island. The port seemed small, and it felt even smaller with the guy staring at me still.

"Hey Grandpa...You gonna stare at me all day or are you gonna do something?" Now he looked at me, a flame started in his eyes.

"How dare you call me that! Do you even know who I am?" Those blue eyes looked me down, ready to kill.

"...A guy who is apparently wearing old man clothing and acts like a frustrated old man?" I held in a laugh; somehow, teasing this guy was worth it.

"I decide whether you live here or not!"

"I'm pretty sure that's the mayor's job...And I'm pretty sure an old geezer like you is too old to inherit it, no matter how long you've been here. Right?"

"I'm the mayor's son!" Oh no, this could be trouble. I'm probably on his 'People I will always hate' list. And I wanted to live here?

"Well, sorry about calling you an old gramps, then." I nervously rubbed the back of my head, his anger seemed to calm down a bit.I mean, there was still a HATE flame in his eyes, but it did go down a bit when I apologized.

"Hmph. You should be sorry. If it happens again, you probably won't be forgiven." He turned around, his back towards me. "My father told me someone was coming to live here, and he told me to show you around. Let's hurry it up; I've got a lot of paperwork I need to finish."

"Whatever you say...*cough* GRAMPS *cough*" He quickly turned around, that flame back in his eyes, and I just whistled, looking the other way.

"I have a name, you know. It's not gramps, stupid."

"I have a real name, too. It's not stupid, gramps"

"You tell me your name first." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why? Aren't you the one showing me around, Gramps? Isn't it only POLITE to introduce yourself first?"

"Polite isn't in my dictionary, at least not when I'm being called 'Gramps'"

"Fine, you stubborn ass. I'm Angela. I got a flyer about this place, and I was bored, so I decided to live here."

"I only asked for your name, stupid, not your reason to be here. By the way, the name's Gill." This guy is starting to push my buttons; I mean, how arrogant can one guy be? I guess, enough to act like an ass. I should be used to this by now, though; all men only wanted to be greedy and not be committed to women. He started to walk away from the dock, and I keep a good 5 feet away from him. If all citizens were like him, I might have to demand my money and go back to the island.

It actually was a good tour; the first place we visited was a store called Simon's Photos. I introduced myself and Simon was more than please to met me, but Gill wasn't feeling the same thing. He quickly showed me to every store, including the Town Hall, Choral Clinic, and The Orcarina Inn. He stopped at the Inn, leaving almost as fast as I meet him. I went inside, to be met with couple who looked at each other, contemplating about something it looked like.

"Um, excuse me..." I caught their attention with that, them both having smiles on their faces.

"Ah, hello there dear. Are you a guest?" The woman looked at me with a smile while I unintentionally knew it was a fake smile.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could have a room in the Inn...I'd like to stay here, if you don't mind."

"Of course not. We have a room. Jake, can you get Maya to show this woman to her nice room?" Jake nodded his head, as he left the room. "My name's Colleen. I run this Inn with my husband Jake and my daughter Maya. Now, you just want a room for yourself, right?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like sharing a room with a guy right now..." Colleen let out a soft laugh, her eyes happier than they were earlier.

"Now, what's your name?"

"Angela."

"How would you like to pay for your room?"

"Cash, if you don't mind. How much is it?"

"It's 300G per night." Okay, so that gives me...about a month before I have to look for a job here. Shouldn't be too hard.

"Alright." I pull my small pink wallet out of my pocket at give her 300G. She gave me a small brown key, with a number tag on it that said '216'. "Umm...I want to stay here, so would it be okay if I made a payment to you at the end of every week?"

"Hmm...I suppose so. I'll charge you 600G a week, since you seem nice." She smiled and I took out 300G, now paying for this week. Now, I only have 2 weeks left to find a job...still plenty of time, but I still haven't really considered food into the factor yet...I'd need to find a job and fast.

"Thank you so much." I heard the back door open, and a girl with blond hair was now next to Jake. I assumed this was their daughter.

"Hey mom. Dad said you needed me for something?"

"Yes. Maya, this is Angela. She's a new resident here, and she needs to be shown to her room. It's room 216."

"Okay, Mom." She looked at me, acting like she'd never seen anyone other than her parents before. It made me a bit wary, but she seemed like a nice girl. so I ignored my first impressions. "I'm Maya! It's nice to meet someone knew. And your name is Angela?"

"Yes."

"Alright! It's a nice name. Anyway, let me show you to your room so you can put that suitcase down somewhere." She gave me a soft smile and began to blab as we got to my room. "What made you come to Harmonica town?"

"Saw a flyer. It looked like a nice place." That, and my flyer had the word HELP written on the back of it and I was sure someone was calling out to me...

"Really? Do you have a job to stay here?"

"No. I'm going to look for one." A job suggestion would be nice, you know.

"You don't look like you eat enough...did you get enough to eat at the other town?"

"Yeah, I had a big breakfast, so I'm okay right now." Do I look anorexic to you?

"So, did the Mayor show you around a bit?"

"No. His son, Gill, did." He was arrogant and couldn't wait to get away and rid of me. I'm pretty sure he didn't like me. Stupid Gramps.

"Oh, I see. So you probably didn't get to see much of anything."

"No, I didn't." You know, you could just offer to show me around...I'm pretty sure that's the nice thing to do, right?

"Well, if you need anything, you can ask me! Although, I usually just work here with my mom and dad. Actually, I think I have a spare map of the island in my room...Would you like it? I bet Gill didn't give you one."

"That would be nice, thank you." What would also be nice is a job...a job and another chance to call Gill "Gramps."

"Okay, looks like we're here." I gave here the key and she unlocked the door for me. The bed had red satin sheets, a tv, and a small bathroom. It seemed comfy enough. "I'll be back later with the map. In the meantime, please relax and enjoy your stay."

"Thanks, Maya." I sat in the room, looking at everything. I opened the window, looking at everything in sight before Maya knocked on my door. She handed me the map, giving me easy directions on anything and everything.

"Oh, Angela. If you're looking for a job, I know where you can get one." She smiled happily.

"Really? Where?"

"Well, It's at the Bar. I think they're looking for a waitress, and I can totally get you the job."

"Really?...You'd do that for me, even though we've only met today?"

"Of course! I have inside relations, so I can get you to work there if you do the right things, like do an interview."

"Thanks, Maya." One point for Maya!

"No problem! Oh, by the way, I recommend you stopping by the Church or the Garmon Mines district. Those are the two places that seem to be the most popular."

"Oh really? Then I may go over there now." I stuffed the map into one pocket of my jean pants and my key in the other.

"Geez, Gill really didn't take you anywhere, did he?"

"No, he really didn't." I sighed and Maya left my room, with me behind her. I walked to the church by myself, looking at it's beauty. It was a good recommendation for me to visit, but I suddenly felt chilled when a wind blew past me.

"Angela..." That voice! The same one I had heard that day in the city! But where was it coming from?

"Who's there? Where are you?" I turned around, only to met no one.

"Angela..." The wind blew in my face again, and I began to walk away from the church. Now, I was following the mysterious voice. It got louder and move distinguishable as I got closer to the Garmon Mine District. I say a small trail in front of me, trees on either side of it. Truth be told, I was slightly scared to step onto the path and follow it. But it was because of this voice that I am now here, this sense of familiarity is unknown to me. Against my conflicting thoughts, I take the first step and begin walking onto the path ahead of me. As I kept walking, I reached a pond with stone steps across it and two other people next to a big, dying tree. The two looked at me cautiously, as I was now facing them on the other side of the pond.

"Who are you?" The blond girl looked at me, trying to figure out exactly what I was.

"I'm a new resident here...I came here because I saw a flyer for this town, and I followed a voice here. I'm Angela." The other person, a red-headed man, now turned to face me.

"You heard a voice? A woman's voice?"

"Yes, a woman's voice." The blond and the redhead walked up to me, smiling.

"I'm Owen. Nice to meet you." I shook his hand when he offered it. The blond also offered her hand to me.

"I'm Kathy. Nice to meet you too, Angela. Good to know you'll be with us."

"Who's 'us'?" I tilted my head in confusion, only to find that a woman with long, blue hair and a blue dress.

"Angela...Please, help me." She had the exact same voice as the one I had heard that one night.

"Who are you?" I backed up, suffering from a mild case of shock.

"I'm the Harvest Goddess; it's a pleasure to meet you."

Chapter END

P-S; If you see the name Perry, it's actually a typo; it's supposed to say Pascal.


	3. Chapter 2: Explanations

Chapter 2: Explanations

Hey! Naty's back! It's been a busy week; I still have school, too! Grr… Dumb school… Anywho… You know, this story wouldn't have been here if I hadn't reviewed one of Angel's stories! Yep, it all started with one review, and then, about 80 messages later, VOILA! We have this story. Amazing, isn't it?

* * *

><p>"The Harvest Goddess…?" I repeated.<p>

"Yes. The Harvest Goddess. I am the one who controls the elements of the island." She said. Her teal colored eyes were mystifying... As if she were more powerful, more… higher ranked…

"But recently, the island has gone into trouble." The Goddess shook her head. "The Harvest God wants to destroy the land, and kill all the inhabitants."

"Harvest… God… destroy… kill… people?" I asked dumbly. I was still a little shocked that I was talking to… a Goddess… apparently…

"Yes, Angela. That's why you need to help us stop him."

"Wait, how did you know my name?" I asked.

The Goddess merely laughed. "The Harvest Goddess knows everything!"

"So? Will you help us?" Owen asked.

"I-I still don't understand… How did you find me?" I asked. There were too many questions, and not enough answers.

"The people born on this island", Kathy said, "all have some sort of power. They start to appear around the age of 25. But, since the island is in trouble, I think, the Goddess made the powers… appear faster? Am I right?"

The Goddess nodded. "Yes, Kathy, that is correct. I accelerated the arrival of your supernatural abilities so you could assist me."

"Oh… A-Alright… Uh… So… Wait, but I was abandoned as a child! How could I be born here?" I protested.

"Oh Angela, dear, you should know by now that anything is possible!" The Goddess smiled.

"That sounds like a cheesy line from a Disney movie…" I muttered.

Kathy laughed. "I agree. It does, Miss Goddess."

"That's not the point, Kathy, Angela." The Goddess shook her head.

Suddenly, there was a burst of smoke. A tall man appeared. He had a long orange tri-color braid for hair. He looked strict, and I automatically felt cautious at his arrival.

"Ignis." The Goddess hissed.

"Sephia. Nice to see you." The man replied.

"My pleasure."

Ignis looked us over carefully. He smirked. "So, this is supposed to be your army? There's very… few of them."

"Really? You think so? How many have you?" Sephia- apparently the Goddess' name – asked.

"I have four. One more then you have." Ignis gloated.

"That's nice." It didn't look like Sephia liked Ignis much. "Angela, Owen, Kathy? Would you please excuse us? We'd rather talk alone, and I'm sure you have better things to do then to sit around."

"B-But Miss Goddess! Can you please tell me-?"

"Later, Angela. Later." Sephia interrupted.

"Come on, Angela. We'd better leave." Kathy pulled me with her.

"You probably have a lot more to see." Owen suggested.

"O-Ok." I finally agreed, leaving the two superior figures alone to talk.

* * *

><p>"I feel like a kid, who's been shooed away so the adults could talk…" I muttered.<p>

"Hmm… Nice comparison." Owen complemented.

"Thanks. I'm talented."

"OWEN!" An old man yelled. "YOU HAVE TO WORK!"

Owen jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Gotta run! That's my grandpa, Ramsey. I'm his apprentice at the blacksmith's."

"Oh, alright then. Goodbye!" I waved.

"Come on, Angela! I'll show you the rest of this place!" Kathy said, as she dragged me behind her.

* * *

><p>"Well, that's most of it!" Kathy said, as we walked slowly side by side.<p>

We had already toured the Garmon Mine District, where I saw the Carpenters, the Blacksmiths (where we stayed a little longer because of Kathy), the General Shop, the Accessory Shop, and the Mine.

Then we went to Flute Fields, where I met Anissa at Marimba Farm, and Renee at Horn Ranch. I also caught a glimpse of Flute Fields, but we didn't go in. "It's like a never ending maze!" Kathy had said.

Now, we were at Harmonica Town, the main attraction.

"So, what have you seen so far of the town?" Kathy asked.

"I've seen the Ocarina Inn, and… the outside of buildings…" I responded, a little embarrassed.

"Wow, you've barely seen anything! Come on!" she yelled, as she dragged me to another building.

As she opened the door, a small bell jingled. "And this is the Sonata Tailoring!" Kathy announced.

"H-Hello, Kathy…" a shy girl said.

She reminded me of a blueberry; completely blue. Her hair was a dark blue, her eyes were a sapphire-color, and she had a mixed shade of blue clothes. Hm, I wonder what her favorite color is…?

"Hey, Candace! This is Angela; she's new." I held out my hand for Candace. She hesitated at first, but reluctantly shook it and gave me a small smile.

"I-It's nice to meet you, Angela." She said quietly.

"Same here!" I said a little louder.

"Th-This is Sonata Tailoring. We sell clothes."

"So I see…" I murmured. The store looked like a really nice place. The one thing that caught my interest was a special green section. It was practically calling my name!

I walked over to the special section, and went through the clothes. I stopped searching when I saw a beautiful green dress. It was short, something Tina and the other girls would love. The top part was pulled tightly together to the middle, forming a green rose. The hem was simple, ending in beaded strings. I held it against me. It looked my size…

"Oh my gosh, Angela, that dress is gorgeous! You should try it on!" Kathy said, suddenly appearing beside me.

"You really think so?" I asked. Kathy nodded enthusiastically. Candace examined me closer.

"The color complements your skin tone… And your shoulders and collarbones are perfect for strapless dresses… It would look nice on you!" Candace said.

"Hey, Candace, you didn't even stutter while saying all that!" I noticed.

Candace blushed a little. "O-Oh, yes… um… yes…"

I laughed quietly of how easily flustered she was. "I'll just go try on the dress…"

* * *

><p>I came out of the small change room, and modeled around in front of my two new friends.<p>

"So? What do you think?" I asked.

Kathy was gapping at me. Candace nodded her approval. "It makes your legs look longer. You look a little taller."

I looked down. "You think? Because I'm really short…"

Kathy finally came back to her senses. Well, sort of… She started shaking me, almost violently. "Buy it, buy it, buy it, buy it!" she yelled. "BUY IT!"

I bit my lip. "I-I don't have any money…" I muttered.

"Th-That's alright! We'll give it to you for free!" Candace offered. "C-Consider this as a welcoming present!"

I smiled with gratitude. "Thanks so much, Candace!" I could tell we'd be getting along.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a girl that didn't look much younger then me walked in. Her hair was done up in some type of curly pink twin pigtails. She had piercing blue eyes, that screamed mean.

"Oh great…" Kathy muttered. "You again…"

"I was just about to say the same thing."

"Who are you?" I asked. The pink-haired girl glared at me.

"My name's Luna. And you're the new girl, I'm guessing? Not that I really care."

"My name's Angela. Not that you probably care, I just think you'd rather insult me by calling me by my name, instead of saying 'that girl'."

"Um… A-Angela?" Candace said nervously. "L-Luna's my sister…"

I looked from Candace, to Luna, and back again. They were so… different from each other, both in appearance, and personality.

"Oh… Oops…"

Luna glared at me once more, before stomping into another room, but before she slammed the door, she said, "By the way, 'Angela'? I made that dress you're wearing."

That evil… thing… made this beautiful green dress? That was… actually really impressive.

"You've got a lot of talent." I said. Luna smirked a little, and closed the door.

"I-I'm sorry about her…" Candace shrugged. "She… has a bit of a temper."

I smiled. "That's alright. I understand!"

"She still doesn't have the right to be mean like that. I still don't like her." Kathy said, frowning. "No offence to you, Candace."

* * *

><p>As we exited the building, a middle-aged man came out of a building beside the Sonata Tailoring.<p>

"Katherine! You're late again! The bar's already open! And who's that you're with?" he yelled.

Kathy gave me a sorry face. "Angela, this is my dad, Hayden. Dad, this is Angela. She's new here."

Hayden smiled. "Well, nice to meet ya, little missy. Katherine and I work over there," he pointed at the building, "at the Brass Bar."

Kathy sighed. "For the last time, Dad, it's Kathy, not Katherine. And the reason I'm late is just because I was showing Angela around." I waved nervously.

Hayden shook his head. "Alright, I suppose that's Ok, but I need you back now. The bar is getting a bit more crowded, and Owen's been asking where his favorite waitress is."

Kathy's face brightened up a bit. I smirked at her, and she flushed, seeing my expression. "I-It's not like… like I like him, or something, I-I, well… he… gets drunk a lot, and… says stuff like that…" she stuttered, as she sped into the bar.

I shook my head as I watched the door close to the Brass Bar.

Hayden laughed. "It's the only way I can convince her to work." I laughed along with him. "So, care to join us? We don't really open until later, when everyone's, and I mean EVERYONE is here. It's a good way to meet people."

"Oh, um…" I shrugged. "Sure, why not? But, if you don't mind, I want to get familiar with the town first, OK?"

Hayden nods. "Alright. Don't come back too late, though. We close at 1:00am."

I'd better come back earlier then one in the morning!

"Alright, goodbye Hayden! See you later!" I waved.

* * *

><p>Once I had officially finished touring the town, I decided it was about time I went to the Brass Bar.<p>

I opened the big lime green door.

The room looked welcoming enough; there were a few wooden tables (most likely built by the Island's Carpenters), along with chairs, of course. There was some smooth jazz music playing, and although I'm not too big of a fan of jazz, I had to admit the music was soothing. True to Hayden's word, the place was pretty packed, although he had definitely over exaggerated when he said the whole town would be there. The people were cheery, and acted like they were all best friends. Which, now that I think about it, they probably all were…

"Angela! You're finally here!" I heard Kathy yell.

The room went quiet. Everyone was staring at me. I blushed a little, and started fiddling with the hem of my green shirt. Why did Kathy have to be so loud all the time?

Kathy ran up and wrapped her arm around me. "Everybody, I'm sure most of you have already met Angela here." She said, addressing the crowd staring at me.

"Hell yeah!" I heard Luke yell.

"He's had a few drinks already…" Kathy whispered. She turned back to the public. "Anyway, she's the new girl here, so you guys better be nice to her! Or else… Or else…" Kathy scanned the room for something threatening. Her lips formed a smirk as she found a solution.

"You all better be nice to her, or else I'll have Owen beat you all up!" she yelled, finally.

"Hell yeah!" Luke yelled again. "Lemme at up!"

"Did you hear me Luke?" Kathy asked. "I said I'll have **Owen** beat you up."

"Wh- Owen?" Luke shouted back, sounding rather alarmed. "**Hell no!**"

We all laughed.

"Come on, Angela!" Kathy called, as she walked back to the bar counter.

I followed after her. There, leaning against the counter, was Hayden, cleaning a martini glass. "Glad to see you could make it!" he said.

"Me too! Seems like a really nice place."

"It is." Hayden agreed. "I love working here."

Kathy sighed. "OK, Angela, time to stop talking to this ol' fart. There are **real** people here! As in, people that aren't two years away from their funeral!"

I glanced at Hayden with raised brows.

"Don't worry." He shrugged. "I'm used to it."

* * *

><p>I kind of felt a little bad for Hayden. His own daughter said stuff like that to him… I barely even had family.<p>

"OK, Angie, this is Julius! Remember him? He works at the Accessory Shop!" I snapped back to reality at Kathy's voice.

Beside her was some guy… (girl, maybe?) with purple hair, and ruby red eyes. Oh, yeah, I remember him now. The cross-dresser…

"Hi, Angelina!" he said. I looked up to him, a confused expression on my face.

"Um, my name's Angela, not… not Angelina." I told him.

He shrugged. "Angela… I find it's too… boring. Ew. But Angelina, on the other hand, now **that** is chic!"

I all of a sudden felt a little self-conscious. "Th-Thank you?"

"Um…" I tried to find an excuse to get away. "I'm… thirsty! Yes, really thirsty. Kathy, are you coming with me to get a drink? I'm sure you're very thirsty too."

But Kathy was totally oblivious to my goal. "Actually, I think I'll stay- OW!" she squealed, as I stomped on her foot. "Yes, I'm actually pretty thirsty. See ya later, Julius!"

We walked quickly away.

"Ow!" Kathy complained. "You didn't have to stomp on my foot! Besides…" she looked back to Julius, "he's single…!"

Oh Goddess… "Actually, Kathy, I was thinking of someone less… feminine. Maybe someone like… Owen?"

Kathy froze. "What?"

I stifled a laugh. "Yeah… I mean, he's good looking, he seems nice, he has a lot of muscle, oh, and did I mention he was good looking?"

Kathy gapped at me. "N-No! You don't want to date him! He… he… No!"

I smirked. "I knew you liked him."

Kathy blushed. "You're cruel…"

I sat down at one of the bar stools, and faced the counter. Hayden was gone doing… who knows what. That's when I noticed, in the back, where the kitchen was…

"Maya?"

She looked my way. "Oh, Angela! Hi!" she ran up to the counter, but seemed to remember something. She turned back around. "Chaaaaaaaase!" she called out. "Come heeeeeeeeeere!"

From there, everything seemed to roll out in slow motion. A man came out from the kitchen area, wiping his hands on a dish towel. He had peach colored hair, which was pulled back by three hairpins.

His violet colored eyes met my dull brown ones. He smiled, and stood beside Maya. I tried as hard as I could not to gap at him.

He held his hand out to me. "Hey. I'm Chase."

I shook his hand, still unable to get my eyes off him. "A-Angela." I stuttered.

Kathy was watching this exchange with great interest. Her green eyes glimmered with mischievousness.

"Chase, Angela is the one I was telling you about!" Maya chirped. They were talking about me?

"Oh, so you were the one who needed a job?" Oh… that's what they were talking about me for…

"Y-Yes. Preferably something… easy. I'm not really the smartest. Or the most talented for that matter." I said.

Chase smirked. "I'm sure you're good at something, city girl." I blushed a little at the nickname. "I'm sure you're smart enough to wait tables, no?"

I smiled a little. "I sure hope so…"

"So you can get her the job?" Maya asked. "That's great!"

"I know I'm great." Chase shrugged teasingly. "I think that deserves a little reward…" He tapped his cheek, and Maya rose on her tippy toes and kissed him.

Oh… Taken…

I tried not to look too disappointed. Besides, I just met him!

Chase nodded. "You'll have to ask Hayden when you can start work."

"Okay, sure thing!"

Kathy was grinning. "Alright, Angela, time to… come with me, now… We have to… _talk_…" she said mischievously, as she dragged me away from them.

"Okay, so admit it, you've got the hots for him, don't you?" she half said, half chanted.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." I said quickly.

"I saw the way you looked at him. You definitely have a bit of a liking for him." Kathy smiled.

I pushed my bangs behind my ear. "He's taken. That's fine with me."

Kathy sighed, and shook her head. "Angela… You're so difficult sometimes… Why don't you just admit it already?"

"Because. He's already taken, and I don't care."

Kathy sighed. "Fine. Be that way!" she was about to drag me somewhere, but then decided something else. "I know… let's have a DRINK-OFF!"

She stared at me expectantly.

"What? A drink-off?" Luke exclaimed, coming from nowhere.

"Yo, sweet!" Owen fist pumped the air. "I'm bettin' my money on Kathy. You know, she beat me once!"

"Yeah, but I was sober before we started!" Kathy yelled out, and the crowd that had formed around us laughed.

"I'll have a few drinks…" I said. The crowd cheered, and I laughed. "I'll have a few drinks, but I'm not having a drink off!"

It was silent for a second. "Boo!" Luke jeered, and soon, everyone else joined in. I laughed.

"Sorry!"

Kathy stuck out her tongue. "You suck."

"Whatever."

Later on, after maybe a dozen more drinks, and a lot more socializing, I was ready to go back 'home'. Kathy decided to come with me. "I wanna see your room!" she had said. So I let her come with me.

She walked with me into the inn. I waved a quick hi to Jake, Colleen and Yolanda, and walked over to my room. I retrieved my room key, then unlocked and opened the door.

"Hm. Nice room." Kathy said.

"Uh, thanks." I muttered. It was pretty empty of possessions; I didn't have many memories from the city. I didn't have any family, either. All I brought with me was just some clothes, and money.

We both sat on the inn. Oh yes, there was one other thing I brought with me: a brown, velvet teddy bear I got from my mother before she… well, before she disappeared.

"You sure you're alright?" Kathy asked.

"Kathy, I've just met the guy a few hours ago. I'm not that heartbroken."

She laughed. "No, I mean, are you sure you didn't drink too much?"

Oh. Oops... "So… about this whole Goddess thing, or whatever… do you know what my power is? Maybe?" I asked, trying to change the subject. I was actually really curious of this all; it seemed like something you'd only read in stories.

"Honestly, I don't know my own power myself." Kathy admitted, looking a little embarrassed. "I've already asked the Goddess."

"Huh.", was my only reply.

* * *

><p>Phew! Finally done! Sorry for slow updates; I'm moving on Friday, so… Well, depends when I post this, it could be "this Friday", or "last Friday"… Cue Rebecca Black… ANYWAY, to make things clear, I'll be moving Friday, June 24th, 2011. There you go. By the way, I felt like mentioning that THIS IS MY LONGEST CHAPTER YET! Yay! Over 3050 words!<p>

Edit: So you may have noticed that I changed the ending. I didn't like it, is all. Anyway, a lot of you have been asking about the next chapter. And I've told you that I don't know when it'll be out. I haven't heard much from Angel, so until she comes back, this story will be on… well, hold, I guess. That is, until I hear back from Angel. Please be patient!

Anyway, reviews are appreciated!


	4. Chapter 3: One more for the team

**Chapter 3: One more for the team**

_Alright, sorry for the wait, and thanks for being so patient! This is Naty here! _

_Alright, so Angel wrote most of this, I just corrected it, and did the work scene. And added an author's note. But this is all Angel's work, so I am not taking any credit for this, apart from the work scene. And of course, this totally epic A/N. Word. XD_

* * *

><p>"This is your uniform, apron and notepad. Don't lose any of them, because I'm not going to replace any of your stuff. Bring them Monday to Friday, since you'll be working here from 8am to 6pm." He explained, handing me the objects.<p>

"We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but we don't serve on holidays. Your main job will be as a waitress, but if needed, you might have to clean the kitchen and the tables. Now, any questions?"

I looked at the stuff he handed me and shook my head. "Good. Now, go to the bathroom, change, and we'll open up the restaurant soon."

"Y-Yes, boss!" I hurried to the bathrooms, not catching Chase's grin.

* * *

><p>The atmosphere was loud and cheerful in the Brass Bar. Well, it wasn't much of a bar. Due to the preference of the villagers, and a lot of support, the bar had grown into a real restaurant.<p>

The Brass Bar now also served breakfast and lunch in addition to dinner.

That was good for business- not so much for a busy waitress.

"Phew! Is it always this busy?" Angela asked, as she waited by the kitchen for the order of food Chase was preparing.

She heard a small chuckle, as Chase turned around, and placed a plate of food on the bar table.

"Nope. I made a 50% off special to celebrate the newest villager." He answered with a smirk.

'If it's to celebrate me, then why am I the one working?' Angela wondered.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Chase said impatiently, although he was still grinning mischievously. "I don't pay you to just sit around, you know!"

Angela frowned, but took the plate, and brought it over to table 6, like the small sticky note on the plate had instructed her to do.

She had already memorized the location of every table in the bar, which surprised her, because she normally didn't have a very good memory.

"Here you are, Mayor Hamilton!" she said with a cheerful smile, placing the plate in front of the man, and ripping off the post-it note. "Scrambled eggs, sausage, and fried breakfast potatoes, just like you ordered! I'll be back with toast in just a sec, okay?"

With that, she started to walk away, then remembered something that Chase had already given her crap for a few times before.

She spun on her heel, and walked back to the Mayor. "I'm sorry, but white bread, or wheat?" she asked.

The mayor smiled. "Wheat please. Irene says I need to lose a few pounds. Hahaha!" he said, with a small laugh.

"Alright, I'll be right back!" she then turned around, and made her way proudly back to the kitchen.

"Wheat toast, please!" she ordered.

Chase raised a brow. "I'm busy. Make it yourself."

"What? But I have to still tend to those other tables!" she whined.

Chase ignored her, and went back to cooking the meal. Angela sighed, and popped two pieces of toasts into the toaster.

While she waited, she decided to start a conversation. "Why is it that you decided to make a 50% off sale on my first day of work? Things are crazy!" she asked.

"I already answered that."

"Celebrating for a new villager isn't a good reason if the villager isn't participating."

"Well then." Chase turned and winked at her. "I guess it's because I said so!"

Angela turned away, and gritted her teeth. Somehow, it seemed he was doing this on purpose, to try and aggravate her. He seemed far too amused for her liking.

"I thought Maya and Kathy worked here anyways! Where are they?" Angela asked, a little sourly.

"They don't work here in the morning." Chase answered matter-of-factly. "Kathy only works at dinner and at night, and Maya just works at lunch. You're all by yourself in the mornings now!"

Angela frowned again. But something didn't seem right with that…

"Well then who worked in the mornings before me?" she asked, certain he wouldn't have a good answer to this.

"Kathy did." He said simply, with a small shrug of his shoulders. "I told her that since you were here now, she wouldn't have to work mornings."

"Well why do I have to work all three shifts?" Angela yelled out in frustration.

Chase stopped what he was doing, and looked up at her. "Are you arguing with your new boss? Are you _trying_ to get yourself fired?"

Angela gritted her teeth, and started thinking of several ways she could use those kitchen knives other than cooking with them.

The toaster suddenly binged, and Angela put them on the small porcelain plate, making sure to include a small pack of margarine and strawberry jam with her.

"Fine."

* * *

><p>I stormed out of the kitchen. I don't really think I was angry at him, just frustrated. He had a strange way of acting… it was almost annoying in a way. Why did he enjoy irritating me so much?<p>

"Here you are, Mayor Hamilton! Enjoy your meal!" I said sweetly, as I placed the plate of toast in front of him.

"Thank you very much!" Hamilton answered, his mouth half full.

I tried not to cringe as a few pieces of scrambled egg fell out of his mouth. Where did he learn his manners?

"You're welcome!" I answered with the same sweet smile instead.

I took my notepad out of my black apron Chase gave me, and looked for another table to wait on.

Gill was sitting impatiently waiting at table 3, the table in the corner. I walked up to him.

"Hello, can I take your order?" I asked, pen ready.

Gill raised a brow, and rolled his eyes. "It took you long enough."

I raised a brow. "Well, sorry, but there are other tables to wait to beside yours." I glanced at the mayor, still stuffing himself with eggs. "Like your dad."

I wonder why he wasn't sitting with the mayor instead of being alone.

Gill glanced at his dad, then sat back in his chair. "Well? Aren't you going to ask for my order?"

This guy… would _really_ like to see Chase's kitchen knives, wouldn't he?

"Alright, so what's your order?" I asked.

"Hmm, let's see…" he murmured, as he grabbed the menu from the table. Wait, he hasn't chosen what he wanted yet? "I guess I'll take sunny side-up eggs, with bacon. Oh, and with tomato juice too."

I wrote that down on my notepad. "Alright, I'll be right back!" I said in fake-cheeriness.

"Yo, Angela!" I heard Luke yell from his table, which he shared with Bo and Dale. "Got any more mayonnaise? We ran out!"

I sighed, and spun around towards the kitchen again. I ripped out the note and clipped it onto a wire that hung horizontally over my head.

"You have another order, Chase. And Luke needs more mayonnaise." Chase didn't even look at me, but threw a bottle of mayonnaise over his shoulder to me.

Surprisingly, I managed to catch it.

I spun out and waited to a few more tables. God, things were really hectic today. Stupid Chase and his stupid sale… It's not a tailor shop! Restaurants shouldn't have sales!

I speed walked over to an impatient-looking Gill with another sweet, yet now strained smile. "Your meal should be here any minute, Gill!"

Normally, this would ease customers, I had realized. "Whatever." Gill yawned.

This guy irritated me so much! I spun back towards the kitchen.

"Gill's being an ass. Is his stuff almost done?" I asked.

"It's been done for about 2 minutes." Chase said, gesturing to a plate of food on the counter.

"Right…" I said, feeling stupid. "Sorry."

I rushed out, carrying the food, only to notice that Gill was standing, and putting on his coat. "W-Where are you going?" I called out to him.

Gill rolled his eyes, and sighed. "I have other things to do, you know. Your service just isn't fast enough."

He grimaced at the plate I was holding. "And frankly, that doesn't quite suit my… tastes…" he added.

My rage grew.

I threw the plate to the ground, and it shattered into pieces, food flying.

I couldn't control my senses anymore. My mind didn't seem to connect to my body anymore. My actions were no longer mine, but someone else's. All I seemed to be directed by was the white hot rage.

I pounded my fist at the table. I wanted to scream.

This other person's feelings were too much to bear. The confusion, the sadness, the anger… especially the anger.

I knelt down, and covered my ears, squeezing my eyes shut.

And when I re-opened them, everything was clear again.

The people in the bar were staring at me, wide-eyed. There was a huge mess before me. Chase came out of the kitchen to see what all the fuss was about.

I ran out of the bar, hiding the tears threatening to fall.

* * *

><p>Angela walked until she reached the Goddess spring, where her legs gave out. She stared at the water, trying to sort her thoughts.<p>

"Why did I sudden walk away? It's not like I did anything wrong...my hand just dropped the plate. But why?" She sighed and looked at the lake. She heard a noise behind her and her head turned. It was Candace, looking a bit timid as usual. She steeped towards Angela, looking at her. "Hi Candace. Is something wrong?"

"H-Hi Angela...I was j-just out for a walk when a v-voice called me. I-I followed it here, and I saw you." Angela's ear perked up when she heard Candace talk about the voice.

"A voice? A woman's voice, right?" Candace nodded, and Angela had an idea. "Well, Candace, did you have weird dream or event happen lately?"

"Well...W-When I woke up this m-morning, I-I felt very c-c-cold." Her hand reached out and touched Angela's hand. Angela's hand felt the coldness and how numb Candace's hand felt.

"Wow, you really are cold!" Candace nodded a bit. "Well...I could tell you to concentrate on bring your body to a warmer temperature."

"Really? W-Will it r-really work?"

"Only one way for sure. Give it a try." Angela pulled Candace down a bit, making her sit down next to her.

Candace began to calm her breathing, and slowly closed her eyes. After a few minutes, without warning, small flakes of snow started falling from the sky.

"Candace...?"

As she kept concentrating, more and more flakes began to fall around the two covering the ground gently with a small layer of snow. Cold winds blew by, and quickly froze over the lake.

"She controls...Ice? Snow?" Angela noticed that Candace had opened her eyes, and stood up in surprise. She looked at the snow.

"Wow..." She was flabbergasted, backing away slowly from the sight of the flakes that were now slowly melting. Without realizing it, she backed into the spring, the ice below her melting just as quickly as the snow.

A small shriek was heard as the ice melted completely, and she fell into the spring.

"Candace!" Angela jumped after her, into the deep pond in which stayed the Goddess.

She seemed to be struggling, but not getting anywhere closer to the surface, and was obviously losing strength.

Angela tried to pull her out of the deep water, but noticed her skirt was caught under a rock.

'Hopefully Candace won't mind it if she has one skirt less…' she thought, as she ripped the skirt to pull her out.

I began to run out of air, and my eyes were threatening to close. I… can't give up… both our lives depend on this…!

In a final effort, a vine wrapped both me and Candace and pulled us out of the water. Reaching air, we both took deep breaths, gasping for air. We came out of the pond soaking wet.

After a few minutes of heavy panting, I propped myself up on one shoulder. "Candace, you okay?" I asked.

"Y-Yes, Angela. T-Thank you for s-saving me." We smiled and the Goddess appeared in front of Candace, in the spring we had just nearly drowned in.

Candace gasped. "W-Who are y-you?"

"Ah, good to see you, Harvest Goddess." I sat down, shivering slightly from the water. A small puddle started around me and I became slightly mad.

"Good to see you, Angela. I was expecting you, Candace, but I didn't expect you to fall into the spring." Candace looked slightly confused. "I have called you, Candace, to ask a favor of you."

"W-What i-is i-it G-Goddess?" Candace was shivering more than me, but I think she stumbled more than usual because of shock.

"Can you befriend Angela and aid me? I take control of the land, but Ig- I mean, the Harvest God...he's trying to destroy the land and the people. Please, I ask of your assistance. Will you help me out?"

"S-Sure, if Angela's doing it t-too." I smiled, happy that we had Candace with us.

"Candace, this will be fun! And sorry about your skirt...You were kinda stuck."

"T-That's okay. I-I needed to fix this skirt, a-anyway."

"Alright! Let's practice together, 'kay, Candace?" She nodded and we began to chat about powers, while the Harvest Goddess watched over us with great interest.

* * *

><p>Two dark figures watched the two girls practice, Sephia looking towards their direction. However, they paid to heed to her glare.<p>

"Oh, Sephia, you'll never be able to defeat me." Ignis grinned, taking in the battle.

"Angela seems to have little knowledge or strength with her powers. Her main weakness appears to be stress." The other figure said, his outline unclear and covered by the dark.

"Oh really? Then Sephia's team is at quite a disadvantage. After all, if I'm not mistaken, we might have another person on our team. A fire starter, I believe."

"So fire and ice. Her team will still be at a disadvantage, with how few people it has."

"True. But...we can make the odds worse." The God grinned widely. "Which is what I'll need you for."

"What would you like me to do?" The other figure scoffed a bit. "Kill Angela before she gets powerful?"

"No. But, I do want to take the bells. You just have to lead the Goddess away. It should be easy for someone like you, especially your power."

"Without the bells, the Goddess' team will not have a power boost. I see what you mean." The other figure began to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the work, unlike you." He scoffed and walked away, leaving the God to watch the two girls sparing.

"I will see you later..." The God grinned.

"Chase."

* * *

><p><em>Hoorah! So again, thank you all for being so patient.<em>

_I (Naty17) will try to update Cry me a River and maybe also RaNdOm drabbles soon too! I'm sorry for neglecting. Also, I hope you'll all check out my forum "The Writer's Block" (if you want, I can PM you the link), or vote for the poll on my profile, or both, even! _

_Well, this has been Naty and Angel. Thanks for reading, and reviews are appreciated!_


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